Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Prince ❯ Chapter 9

Dark Prince

 

 

 

Chapter Nine

 

 

 

Hatori hung up the phone, a slight frown on his face. He didn't like the way Akito had sounded…a sort of eerie calm before….

 

His thoughts were interrupted when Momiji bounded through the door, a cheerful smile on his boyish face.

 

“Hi Hatori!”

 

Hatori gave an absentminded wave of his hand, turning his back on the youth. He didn't really want to be bothered at the moment, especially not by Momiji, whose boundless energy was enough to rival even that of a toddler.

 

“Don't you have something else to do right now? Chores or something…?” Hatori murmured, pushing his glasses up. Momiji did a quick twirl, his arms flung wide.

 

“Nope!” He replied merrily. He went to stand behind the doctor, peering over his shoulder. Hatori tried to quell his rising irritation; after all, Momiji wasn't the one he was really annoyed with.

 

With a long-suffering sigh, he turned to face the blond-haired youth. “Why don't you go and see what Haru's up to?” A petulant pout formed on the boy's lips.

 

“Haru told me not to bother him when he's trying to sleep.”

 

Hatori gave up, knowing he'd have to put up with him for a couple of hours until Momiji eventually bored of Hatori's company. Unless…

 

“Fine,” Hatori said, shrugging out of his white lab coat. He placed it on the back of his desk chair. “Since you're so intent on bothering me, then you can accompany me to Akito's -”

 

No sooner had the words left his lips before Momiji shot out of the room like a firecracker. Hatori smirked. He figured that'd be all it took to get rid of him. Although he was glad to be rid of Momiji's oftentimes infuriating exuberance, Hatori dreaded the prospect of facing Akito alone. Ever since…

 

He gave a sharp shake of his head, refusing to dwell on painful memories. Still, he wished the rabbit had stayed…

 

As Hatori made his way to Akito's quarters, he couldn't help thinking that nothing good could come of his meeting with the Sohma family head. Akito only needed Hatori's services for one specific purpose, and that never ended well.

 

~*~

 

Yuki couldn't help feeling a twinge of pride as he looked around the spacious loft. Sunlight poured in from the large windows, giving the rooms a natural glow. It was a little sparse in the furnishing department, but it was his.

 

He leaned against the breakfast bar, trying not to think about his earlier conversation with Akito. He'd expected no less from someone like Akito, but there'd been something else that had bothered him…something that nagged at him even now.

 

“How mad did I make him?” Yuki said aloud, his face thoughtful. Akito wasn't one to take things lying down; even if that was the way he liked others to take it. Yuki wasn't amused by his joke, harsh memories coming to the forefront.

 

Yuki was fairly certain that his actions would beget repercussions. Just what those repercussions would actually be was anybody's guess.

 

~*~

 

Hatori sat kneeling on the warm wood floor, his gaze wary. As usual, Akito lay on his side, his head propped up in his hand. He was staring lazily out the window, humming a low tone, the sound the only thing filtering through the oppressive silence.

 

Hatori cleared his throat nervously, hating that he let Akito get to him. His frail, slender appearance belied the raging power that was just beneath the surface. People seemed to forget that when they looked at Akito…they forgot what he'd been before he got so sick.

 

“What are you thinking, Hatori?” Akito's silky voice sunk into his thoughts. Hatori blinked before giving a short shake of his head. “Nothing,” he murmured. A small smile ghosted over Akito's thin lips before it disappeared, as if Akito knew exactly what was going on in the doctor's head. Hatori had to turn his head away, afraid the younger man would see his anger.

 

“What is it you want me to do?” Hatori asked, changing the subject. Akito's gaze slid away from the doctor, focusing once again on the scenery outside. His eyes narrowed. “The one thing you're good at, Hatori.”

 

Hatori's breath caught as his eyes widened at the implication of those words. He'd known, somewhere deep down, that this would be Akito's request. Hell, maybe he'd even known it since the day Tohru had first stepped foot in the Sohma compound. He'd been waiting…waiting for the other shoe to drop. And here it was with a resounding slam.

 

“Why, Akito?” He asked, his voice low. Akito sighed heavily and looked at the man kneeling before him. “Why?” He echoed, his voice cold. “Why, you ask? Because,” he spat angrily. “Because I said so!”

 

The words would have been funny any other time, sounding so ridiculously childish to Hatori's ears, but now, they weren't so funny. They rang with an unmistakable note of finality.

 

“But…but I…” Hatori couldn't find the words to defend Tohru, to stop the inevitable. Akito glanced at him sharply. “You too, Hatori? Will you betray me just like that little rat?”

 

Hatori frowned, confused. What did Yuki have to do with this?

 

Quicker than Hatori would have thought possible, Akito rose to his feet, walking slowly toward him. He stopped just in front of him, his hands clasped behind his back.

 

“Yuki must be taught a lesson,” he whispered, bending forward. Hatori stared at the brilliant white cheery blossom designs on the silk kimono, refusing to meet Akito's gaze.

 

“Tohru must be taught a lesson, also,” Akito continued, his voice soothing and persuasive. “Ever since learning of our little secret, she's caused this family nothing but trouble. Don't you agree, Hatori?” Akito reached out to smooth a hand over the doctor's head.

 

Hatori squeezed his eyes shut, shuddering slightly under Akito's touch. It would be so easy to grab the small scalpel in his pocket and slice Akito's neck…to watch his blood spurt out and stain the immaculate hard wood floor. So easy…

 

But Hatori knew he'd never be able to do it. None of them could, not as long as Akito still had even a fraction of power left.

 

“Don't you?” Akito repeated, a hard edge to his voice. Hatori gulped and nodded his head weakly, unable to oppose him. “Good,” Akito responded in a pleased tone. He turned away from the trembling doctor and waved a hand at him.

 

“See that it's done as soon as possible.”

 

~*~

 

Tohru tried to pay attention to what Shigure was saying, but she was finding it difficult. Kyo, as usual, was silent, a slight frown on his face.

 

Shigure, despite his seemingly oblivious nature, knew that something was going on. He glanced at Kyo, then Tohru. The sullen cat was busy shoveling food in his mouth while Tohru barely nibbled at the food on her plate.

 

He sighed, realizing that polite conversation was pointless; neither paying attention to what he had to say.

 

“Well, I suppose I should try to finish some more of my novel,” he announced, rising from the table. Tohru glanced up, her expression lackluster. “Oh, don't worry about the dishes, Shigure-san. I'll get them.”

 

Shigure frowned slightly before nodding his head. He glanced at Kyo. “Perhaps you and Tohru-kun might take a stroll later?” Kyo looked up at him, giving a quick glance Tohru's way before shrugging his shoulders.

 

“Whatever.”

 

Shigure left the room, again wondering what the tension was all about.

 

Tohru, realizing she didn't really have an appetite, rose to clear the dishes away. Kyo watched her intently, wanting to say something but not having the nerve. Instead, he held his tongue and hurriedly left the house.

 

Tohru was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice that she was alone in the kitchen. She washed the dishes mechanically, going through the familiar motions. The entire time, her mind was on one person; Yuki.

 

She still couldn't get her mind off Yuki. She smiled, realizing it wasn't much different from high school. Even then Yuki had been foremost in her thoughts, taking her breath away with a single glance. He was older now, but still had the same affect.

 

Tohru couldn't help blushing. He was older with more of a masculine quality, but…he was undeniably Yuki. What had made him so sought after in high school, what had made him the object of everyone's attention, was still there. He still had the sharp, delicate features that made him inherently beautiful. He still had those bewitching misty gray eyes and that long, shaggy black hair, but…

 

A soft sigh escaped her lips. Where was the kindness that had made his eyes sparkle? He no longer had that gentleness that invited you in, made you want to do whatever he asked just to see him smile.

 

Tohru shook her head, dispelling her taxing thoughts. She dried the last dish and put it away, making sure that all the leftovers were put away. As she wrapped up the last dish, a knock sounded at the door.

 

“I'll get it!” She called, wondering if Shigure was still up working on his novel. She absently wondered where Kyo had gone off to as she reached the front door, turning the knob.

 

“What are you doing here?” Tohru said with a hint of surprise.

 

“I came to see…you.”

 

*end*